Slide-operating screw having a nonrotatable nut lockable in slid position by initialrotation of screw



June 4, 1957 w. H. ROBERSON 2,

SLIDE-OPERATING SCREW HAVING A NONROTATABLE NUT LOCKABLE IN SLID POSITION BY INITIAL ROTATION OF SCREW Filed Aug. 20, 1954 2 She'ets-She et 1 i ,2 //0 1 F/g. 54 52 r 24 I, 56 I 2 9 56 46 d mmy 44 62 I. l 11ml? 42 Wa/fer H. Rabersan t IN VEN TOR.

.June 4, 1957 w H ROBERSON 2 794,356

SLIDE-OPERATING CR EW HAVING A NONROTATABLE NUT LOCKABLE IN SLID POSITION BY INITIAL ROTATION 0F SCREW Filed Aug. 20, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.6

INVENTOR.

Walter h. Raberso n United States Patent-"O SLIDE-OPERATING SCREW HAVING A NON- ROTATABLE NUT LOCKABLE 1N SLID PO- SITION BY INITIAL ROTATION OF SCREW Walter H. Roberson, Daytona Beach, Fla.

Application August 20, 1954, Serial No. 451,080

9 Claims. (Cl. 81-31) The present invention relates to an operating device for vises, cutters, and the like, whereby the jaw, cutter, etc. may be quickly and simply adjusted to holding position.

The primary object of the invention is in the provision of an operating device which permits an initial longitudinal sliding movement of the operating means for the device to initially clamp the workpiece in pos1- tion for holding or cutting prior to apply greater pressure to the workpiece.

A highly important object of the invention, ancillary to the primary object, is in the provision of such a device wherein, after the initial sliding setting of the operating means, further manipulation to tighten the pressure on the workpiece locks the operating means in position further longitudinal sliding movement.

A still further object of the invention is in the provision of a device of the afore-mentioned character which permits quick and easy release of the workpiece to be held without materially changing the position of the operating means for the insertion of the next workpiece.

A last object of the invention to be mentioned specifically is in the provision of an operating device for vises, cutters, etc. which is extremely simple of construction, economical of manufacture, and durable in use and which may be applied almost universally to vise or cutting devices.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will subsequently become apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompaying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l of the drawings discloses the device of the present invention in operative position when utilized as a pipe-cutter-operating means;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the plane of section line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the plane of section line 3-3 of Figure 2 and shows an operating rod and threaded collar locked to a tubular casing;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the collar or sleeve of the device;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 2, but showing the operating rod and threaded collar as freed from the casing;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a modified device taken substantially along the same plane as that of Figure 3.

In the drawings, the device is designated in its entirety by the numeral 10 and in its essential features comprises basically an elongated tubular element, casing or housing 12. The upper end of the casing is open, as at 14, and slidably and non-rotatably disposed within a longitudinal bore 16 of the casing is a collar or sleeve 18.

Patented June 4, 1957 A cap 20 closes the upper end of the bore and an operating rod 22 extends longitudinally through the bore 16 of the casing and has its upper end 26 projecting through the cap 20 and its lower end 24 projecting through a lower end of the casing.

The lower end portion 24 of the operating rod 22 is of reduced cross section and the upper end portion 26 of the operating rod is of enlarged cross section, the enlarged upper end portion 26 and the reduced lower end portion 24 being joined to one another by means of a tapered shoulder 28 within the bore 16 of the casing.

A portion of the reduced lower end portion 24 of the operating rod 22 is threaded as at 30 through a reduced, threaded opening 32 in the lower end of the collar or nut 18. I The upper portion of the collar 18 is provided with diametrically opposite transverse bores 34 within which loosely seat balls 36.

The peripheral surface of the longitudinal bore 16 of the casing 12 is provided with horizontally extending vertically spaced grooves 38 throughout the length thereof, as shown in Figure 2.

The upper end of the operating rod 22 is provided with a suitable handle 40 for rotating the rod.

The peripheral surface of the bore 16 is also provided with diametrically opposite longitudinal grooves 66 throughout the length thereof, and the collar 18 is provided with radially projecting longitudinal flanges 70 slidable in the groove 66 to slidably but nonrotatably dispose the collar 18 in the bore 16.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures l-5, the longitudinal bore 16 of the casing 12 is cylindrical and the grooves 38 are circular. The collar 18 is likewise cylindrical and the balls 36 normally seat loosely within the grooves 38. When thus loosely seated, the operating rod 22 may be longitudinally slid or reciprocated through the casing 12, the balls being pressed inwardly by ridge portions of the grooves 38 as the collar and the operating rod are slid longitudinally.

As shown in Figure 1, the operating means 10 is utilized on a pipe-cutting device wherein there is a base 42 having a V-shaped groove 44 in the top wall thereon and into which a V-shaped cutting element 46 fits. A pipe 48 has a portion thereof seated in the V-shaped cutter 46 and the lower end 24 of the operating rod 22 is provided with a transverse cutter bar 50. The casing 12 terminates in a substantially U-shaped yoke 52 having a web 54 and legs 56. The lower end of the casing 12 opens into the center of the web 54 of the yoke 52 and the lower ends of the legs.56 seat on the top wall of the base 42 and are fastened in any suitable manner thereto. In the form shown, to lock the legs of the yoke in place, one of the legs 56 is provided with a pivotally swinging lever 58 having a hook 69 at the lower end thereof which hooks into a side wall groove 62 in the side wall of the base 42.

The operation of the device will now be described. Assuming that the rod 22 and collar 18 are in such relative positions (see Fig. 5 for example) that they can be freely reciprocated as a unit in the casing 12, the rod 22 is shoved downwardly until the bar contacts a workpiece. Counterclockwise rotation of the rod 22 (assuming that the rod is viewed from above in Figs. 1, 2 and 5) will cause the nonrotatable nut 18 to ride up over the threads 30 on the lower portion 24 of the rod 22 until the balls 36 contact the shoulder 28 (see Fig. 2), whereupon the balls 36 will be cammed into one of the circular grooves 38. Upon further counterclockwise rotation, the shoulder 28 will slide past the balls 36 as the lower portion 24 of the rod threads downwardly through the immobilized nut 18, and as the bar 50 cuts into a pipe 48 or other workpiece. Obviously, the rod 22 may be used without the bar 50 so as to clamp a workpiece, or the rod 22 may be used in a device other than a pipe cutter or vise.

A lock nut 71 is provided on the threaded portion 30 of the operating rod to limit the extent that rotational, longitudinal movement of the operating rod 22 can retract the rod with respect to the collar 18. V

In Figure 6, there is shown a modification of the device wherein a casing 72 which may be noncircular in cross section, is formed square in cross section and has a bore 74 likewise square in cross section. Two opposite walls of the bore 74'are provided with horizontally extending, ball-receiving grooves 38'; and the bore 74 slidably receives a ball-equipped collar or sleeve 76, which is correspondingly square or noncircular in cross section. The change in cross section is simply to provide another means to mount the collar slidably but nonrotatably in the casing. In all other respects, the operation of the device of Figure 6 is the same as the operation of the device of Figure 2.

The over-all eifect of the device is to provide a holding means which may beinitially positioned by sliding movement without rotation and then finally positioned by rotation while a portion thereof is locked in its slid position.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur. to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a pipe-holding device comprising a base for supporting a pipe, a yoke mounted on said base and having portions thereof straddling said base, a hollow casing on said yokeopening, at its lower end toward said base, an elongated member slidably disposed within said housing and having an enlarged upper end portion and a reduced lower end portion joined to one another by a tapered shoulder, a collar on said elongated member slidably and nonrotatably disposed in said housing, said collar having a threaded aperture in the lower end thereof threadedly attaching the same to said elongated member on the reduced end portion thereof, said collar having at least one transverse bore through a side wall thereof, a ball seated in. said bore, said housing having longitudinally spaced transverse wall grooves on an inner surface thereof whereby rotation of said elongated member in one direction, projects the enlarged upper end portion thereof into said collar, and presses said ball into locking relation with said housing grooves, and means on the lower end of said elongated member for gripping a pipe on said base.

2. An operating device for vises, cutters, and the like comprising a tubular element having transversely extending grooves on an inner surface thereof, an operating rod extending through said element, a collar being slidably and nonrotatably disposed in said tubular element,

said collar having at least one transverse bore through aside wall thereof, a movable element disposed in said transverse bore and adapted to seat in one of said grooves, said operating rod having an enlarged upper end portion and a reduced lower end portion, said lower end portion being threaded into a lower end of said collar, wedging means on said operating rod movable into said collar upon rotation of said rod for moving said movable element into locking relation with one of said grooves, an upper' end portion of said collar having an inside span which is greater than an inside diameter of said threaded lowerend, whereby said upper end portion of said collar can receive said enlarged upper end portion of said rod, and said transverse bore being in said upper end portion of said collar.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said operating rod has a tapered shoulder joining said enlarged and reduced portions-thereof'and forming said wedging means for biasing said movable element into locking position in one of said grooves.

4. The combination of claim 2, wherein a cross section of saidcollar is noncircular in exterior outline and wherein across section of said tubular element is correspondingly noncircula-r at said inner surface.

5. The combination of claim 2, wherein said tubular element is formed from a cylindrical tube having a longitudinal groove opening into the bore thereof, and whereinsaid collar has a longitudinal rib that seats in said longitudinal groove.

6. The combination of claim 2, wherein said transversely extending grooves in a longitudinal section of said tubing element form a sinusoidal profile.

7. A slide-operating device comprising a tubular member having generally transverse side wall grooves along the length of the bore thereof, a nut slidably, nonrotatably disposed in said bore, an operating rod slidably disposed in said bore and having a reduced and threaded end portion threadedly carrying said nut, a tapered shoulder'joining said reduced end portion to the upper portion of said shaft, said nut having a transverse bore through a side wall thereof, a ball. in said transverse bore and being of greater diameter than the length of said trans verse bore, whereby rotation of said rod in one direction relative to said nut will force said ball into locking relation with one of said sidewall grooves to lock said nut against further sliding movement.

8. The combination of claim 7, wherein the bore of said tubular member is polygonal in. cross section.

9. The combination of claim 7, wherein said nut has lugs projecting radially outwardly from. the side wall thereof, and wherein said tubular member also has longitudinal grooves extending the length of the bore thereof, said lugs being slidable in said longitudinal grooves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 381,178 Starkey Apr. 17, 1888 631,991 James et a1 Aug. 29', 1899 1,336,829 Hull Apr. 13, 1920 1,636,181 Glassey July 19, 1927 

